The process "syncdefaultsd" uses 50% of CPU.

Unloading the services com.apple.syncdefaultsd, com.apple.CalendarAgent, com.apple.AddressBook.SourceSync by doing:

$ launchctl unload /System/Library/LaunchAgents/com.apple.syncdefaultsd.plist 
$ launchctl unload /System/Library/LaunchAgents/com.apple.CalendarAgent.plist
$ launchctl unload /System/Library/LaunchAgents/com.apple.AddressBook.SourceSync.plist

Solved the problem for me. You can load them again by using the command "load" (instead of "unload") or by restarting the mac.

I'm having the same issue, only mine is clocking at 88% of CPU.

MBP (2010), OS X 10.7.2

I have the same issue on a 2011 MBP 17" that came with Snow Leopard. I upgraded to Lion.

CPU is at least 50%, often more. Fans run at full speed as a result.

I tried logging out of iCloud, nothing happened. I turned off Time machine, nothing happened.

I switched networks from an ethernet connection through a proxy server, to a wireless network with no proxy and the syncdefaultsd process quit and so the fans eventually died down once the machine cooled a bit.

I'm also running a Windows VM using VMWare Fusion.

I've had this problem a few times now, not sure what's causing it, but I know on the ethernet network that is behind a proxy, Back to my mac in iCloud, complains it can't find the server. Also iCal times out when it tries to sync on that network. AppStore also won't connect on that network. Any of you have similar networks you are using? Eg behind an ISA proxy?

Ciao.

Same for me.

Macbook Air 1st gen, Lion.

Using at work, with wireless and proxy, and, sob, ISA authentication, I have syncdefaultsd that take 50-90% cpu.

Even shutting down the process it respawn.

I had the same problem with ISA with the wget I've installed. To override the problem I've installed a NTLM proxy, ntlmaps, in local. I aim to NTML in local, on particular port, and this authenticates on ISA.

Have you guys any idea if this can be patched using ntlmaps, and making iCloud, iCal or others programs ising this proxy?

See you.

Curiously enough, I only have this problem at work, where I use a proxy. It doesn't seem to matter much if I am using Parallels or not (it happens when I am using Parallels, and other times where I only have Chrome, Mail, & iTunes up).

I've had success with cntlm on Windows http://cntlm.sourceforge.net/ and NTLM authentication. Seems like it is in more active development than ntlmaps. Although I may have to compile it since I can't find an OS X binary. Never needed to use it on the Mac until this...

I also have a problem with SafariDAVclient because of syncing Safari bookmarks https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3204349?tstart=0

Where is the best place to report these issues?

My problem is: how can I tell to syncdefaultd to use my fake proxy, and point to 127.0.0.1 port 5869, and no to go straight to the default proxy?

With my previous issue with wget behind ISA server, I modified the wget conf file to point to 127.0.0.1

There is some conf file I can edit for syncdefaultsd?

See you.

You should be able to put the ntlmaps or cntlm local address and port into the Network settings in System Preferences and then everything will go through that. You then just need to configure ntlmaps or cntlm with the actual proxy settings.

Yes, ok.

But I don't want that all the traffic hit my ntlm proxy.

With an high use of the net, especially at work, it wull drain resources...

I want that only the sync pass throught the proxy.

any updates on the above problem with syncdefaultsd?

I must say my terror came with Lion OS and on a server...

Everyday, around 1pm the syncdefaultsd process would come up in running processes. It would operate at 80-110% of total cpu usage.

Only way to temporarily stop was to force quit everyday.

A real pain in the arts.

After talking to apple support, we disabled my icloud on my macbookpro and the problem does not exist.

So the problem is synching in incloud.

I dont know if any fix has been done... My colleague never had the problem on lion, just upgraded to mountain lion, and now he gets it.

I just upgraded to mountain lion but have not tried being logged in to icloud on the work server.

Any other ways of fixing the issue besides installing an NTML proxy? Or is there a simple way of doing this on a network server?

acermanau

I have a neater solution:

Step 1: From Activity Monitor, determine the process id (column PID) for syncdefaultsd - e.g. 29027.

Step 2: Open a terminal window and type the following runes:

sudo kill -stop <value of PID from Step 1>

e.g. sudo kill -stop 29027

It will ask for your password - type it fearlessly.

Result: process syncdefaultsd is suspended indefinitely, but not killed. It is still there, but the process scheduler will not give it a processor.

To release it into the wild again:

Either:

sudo kill -cont <value of PID from Step 1>

e.g. sudo kill -cont 29027

Or:

it will be started automatically when you restart your Mac.

In OS X Mávericks, this still works.

Thank You!

At least in OS X Mavericks this does not work. I doubt it ever did work because syncdefaultsd is made to be run when the OS regards this as needed. If you quit it like this or force quit it in Activity Monitor it will only start up again at some point. Unloading the plists prevents this status and is therefore a much neater solution.

I made a script that runs and unloads these when I need more CPU and when finished loads them again.

I'll update this when I've tried this in El Capitan, if needed at all.